A study by the University of Chicago on the effect of a foreign accent on trustworthiness:Lev-Ari, Shiri; Keysar, Boaz: Why don't we believe non-native speakers? The influence of accent on credibility. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 2010.

In a social-sciences analysis of the general conditions of trust, the fact which it is essential to take account of is that the success of the cooperation is uncertain (Cf. Wenzel, 2002 ).This is of vital importance: trust involves opening oneself to uncertainty; it is linked with the acceptance that the subject of one’s trust, could potentially cause damage. Assuming a social problem that can only be solved through cooperation, the ‘truster’ subconsciously takes the first step by conceding that the trustee is free to reciprocate in the project or to do so step-by-step.

In order to guide the actions of the trustee in the desired direction, it is necessary to communicate with him positively and directly; both parties must interact. It is only in this kind of communicative, interactive, sequential exchange that a unilaterally initiated cooperation project can be successfully realized (Cf. Wenzel, 2001).

This Weblog

This weblog presents scientific research concerning the communication of trust, one of the central issues in the sociology of communication. The main focus is on communicative, interactive, sequential aspects that influence the establishment of trust.